Author Archives: Shawn Thomas

About Shawn Thomas

My blog, shawnethomas.com, features the text of my sermons, book reviews, family life experiences -- as well as a brief overview of the Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for Southern Baptist Sunday School teachers.

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 8:10-22, “Land!”

Posted on 2024/01/06 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 8:10-22 for Sunday, January 14, 2024, with the title, “Land!” A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Can you … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "Land!", ark, But God, cancer, church, creation laws, deliverance, don't just do something stand there, don't just stand there do something, Edward Dolnick, Ephesians 2, eternal life, Explore the Bible, faith, faithfulness of God, flood, Genesis 8, Genesis 8:10-22, giving, giving testimony, God, God creation, gratitude, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, hope, I Samuel 13, judgment, laws of science, Lifeway, Matthew Henry, Noah, obedience, patience, Pinkerton's bbq, Psalm 130:5, sacrifice, sacrificial giving, salvation, Sir Isaac Newton, testimony, thanks, Thanksgiving, The Clockwork Universe, the flood, tithe, tithing, trust, trusting God, waiting, waiting on God, waiting on the Lord | 7 Comments

Teachers’ Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 6 & 7, “Judgment”

Posted on 2023/12/30 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson on Genesis 6:13-22, 7:20-24 for Sunday, January 7, 2023, with the title of “Judgment.” A video version of this overview is available on … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Answers in Genesis, archeology, ark, bible study help, cubit, Exodus 34:6-7, Explore the Bible, flood, Genesis 18:25, Genesis 6, Genesis 6 Bible study, Genesis 7, Gilgamesh Epic, God, God judge, gospel, grace, hell, II Peter 2, judge of all the earth, judgment, justice, lesson outline, Lifeway, Noah, salvation, sin, Sodom and Gomorrah, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, The Ark Encounter | 7 Comments

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 4:1-5, “The First Murder”

Posted on 2023/12/19 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 4:1-15 with the title of “The First Murder” for Sun. Dec. 31, 2023. A video version of this overview is available … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged A.W. Tozer, Abel, Abel sacrifice, abortion, addictions, Admiral Hyman Rickover, anger, attributes of God, Baptist Sunday school lesson, be killing sin, be killing sin or sin will be killing you, best, Bible study, blood, blood sacrifice, Cain, Cain & Abel, Cain sacrifice, children, children gift, Christ, Christmas, consequences of sin, doing your best, Explore the Bible, forgiveness, Genesis 4:1-15, grain offering, Habakkuk 3:2, Hebrews 11:4, Hebrews 9:22, in wrath remember mercy, Jesus, Jimmy Carter Why Not the Best, John Owen, judgment, lesson outline, lesson plan, Leviticus 7:37, Lifeway, Malachi 1:8, mercy, murder, My Best Jimmy Carter, parents, pornography, President Jimmy Carter, Psalm 101:3, Psalm 127:3, punishment, relationships, Romans 13:14, sacrifice, salvation, Saviior, sin, Southern Baptist, Sunday School, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, temptation, The First Murder, The Knowledge of the Holy, why not the best, works, worship | 2 Comments

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Luke 2:1-15 “The First Christmas”

Posted on 2023/12/16 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Luke 2:1-15, for Sunday, December 24, 2023, with the title, “The First Christmas.” A video version of this overview is available on … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Bible study lesson, Christmas, Explore the Bible, Hinduism, Islam, Jesus, Lifeway, Luke 2:1-15, Nabeel Qureshi, salvation, Savior Christ the Lord, Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, Sunday School, Sunday school teacher help, The First Christmas, works | 2 Comments

“A ‘Real Life’ Christmas” (Luke 2:1-11 sermon)

Posted on 2023/12/11 by Shawn Thomas

My sister serves as a missionary in southeast Asia. We both grew up at the First Baptist Church of Harrah, Oklahoma — a church much like FBC Angleton in a lot of ways. When we were young, our church was … Continue reading →

Posted in Luke 2 Christmas series | Tagged A Christmas Carol, Andrew Parker Genesis Enigma, apologetics, assurance, Bethlehem, busyness, C.S. Lewis normal life, Caesar Augustus, chaos, Charles Darnay, Charles DIckens, Christianity, Christianity historicity, Christianity real life, Christmas chaos, Christmas family celebration, Christmas nativity scene, Christmas sermon, church Christmas program, church nativity, creation, cunningly devised fables, dying testimony, Ebenezer Scrooge, eternal life, Frank Morison Who Moved The Stone, Genesis 1, gospel, Jesus history, John Newton, Judea, kids nativity, Letters of John Newton, Luke 2, Luke 2 Christmas sermon, Luke 2 Christmas story, Mary and Joseph, myth, Paul the Traveler, Quirinius, salvation, Savior, science and Christianity, screwtape letters, service, Sidney Carton, Tale of Two Cities, William Mitchel Ramsey | 2 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 3:1-7, 21-24 “The First Sin”

Posted on 2023/12/09 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 3:1-7, 21-24, “The First Sin,” for Sunday, December 17, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged "The First Sin", Adam and Eve, as God now is man shall become, as man now is God once was, Bible, consequences of sin, do not love the world, Explore the Bible, first sin, Genesis, Genesis 3:1-7, Genesis Bible study, Genesis Sunday school lesson, God's word, has God said?, I John 2:15-17, James Dobson, John Milton, Lifeway, lust, lust of the flesh lust of the eyes boastful pride of life, marriage, Mormonism, Paradise Lost, protevangelium, R.C. Sproul, repentance, Revelation 12:9, salvation, Satan, Satan's schemes, serpent, sin, sin is cosmic treason, Sunday school help, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, temptation, The First Gospel, The Garden of Eden | 6 Comments

Teacher’s Overview: Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 2:7-9, 15-25, “The First Couple”

Posted on 2023/12/02 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders, of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 2:7-9, 15-25 for Sunday, December 10, 2023, “The First Couple.” A video overview of this overview is available on YouTube at: … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Adam, Adam and Eve, aesthetics, Bible, Calvin Coolidge marriage, Charles Wesley, choice, cleave, creation, decorating, divorce, Dr. David Garland, Eve, Explore the Bible, family, First Couple, fruit trees, garden of Eden, Genesis 2 Sunday school lesson, Genesis 2:7-9, God created, God's plan for marriage, Grace Coolidge, homosexuality, I Corinthians 6:19, I Timothy 1:10, II Corinthians 6:14, John Newton, Judge Roy Bean, Leviticus 18:22, Lifeway, marriage, marriage best friend, marriage cleave, marriage friendship, marriage intimacy, marriage one man one woman, marriage priority, purpose for trees, purpose for work, Romans 1:27, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school lesson help, Sunday school teacher help, tree of knowledge, tree of life, trees, unequally yoked, W.F. Strong Stories From Texas, work, Yahweh, Yahweh Elohim | 3 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Genesis 1-2 “The First Week”

Posted on 2023/11/27 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Genesis 1:1-5, 26-2:3, “The First Week,” for Sunday, December 3, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: INTRO: ??? Share the most beautiful/most favorite place … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged 7th Day Adventists, 7th Day Baptists, abortion, Andrew Parker Genesis, Baptist Faith & Message 2000, C.S. Lewis, creation, creationism, doctrine of man, Dr. John Lennox, Explore the Bible, gender, gender Bible, gender issues, Genesis 1, Genesis 1:1, Genesis 2, he made the stars, homosexuality, In the beginning GOd, Jesus, John 1:1-2, John Barletta, let there be light, Lifeway, Lord's Day, Milky Way galaxy, naturalism, nature, Richard Dawkins, Ronald Reagan, Sabbath, sabbath issues, Stephen Hawking, Trinity, universe, universe size, Weight of Glory | 3 Comments

“A Song In The Night” (Habakkuk 3 sermon)

Posted on 2023/11/27 by Shawn Thomas

In the early 1820’s, John Keats, the English poet, went outside one evening for the specific purpose of sitting under a tree and listening to the song of a nightingale, the bird renowned for singing its song at night. Several … Continue reading →

Posted in Habakkuk "Find Us Faithful" series messages | Tagged adversity, Anne of Green Gables, Charles Spurgeon, David Psalm 22, Ephesians 1 every spiritual blessing, glory God, God, God holy, God judge, God relationship, God song, Habakkuk, Habakkuk 3, Habakkuk song, heaven, Henry V, how to be saved, Jesus, Job, John Keats Nightingale, joy, Psalm 4, rejoicing, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, Song in the Night, spiritual blessings, Spurgeon song in the night, Thanksgiving | 2 Comments

Teacher’s Overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson: Mark 16:1-14, “Alive”

Posted on 2023/11/18 by Shawn Thomas

A brief overview of Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible lesson of Mark 16:1-14, “Alive,” scheduled for Sunday, November 26, 2023. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at: ONE WAY to introduce this lesson would be to post … Continue reading →

Posted in Explore the Bible SS lesson overviews | Tagged Albert Henry Ross, alive, Anthony Flew There is a God, apologetics, Christ is risen, empty tomb, evangelism, Explore the Bible, Frank Morison, Galatians 2:20, I Corinthians 15, Jaroslav Pelikan, Jesus resurrection, Joe McKeever, Joseph of Arimathea, lesson overview, lesson plan, Lifeway, Mark 16, Mark 16:1-14, Mary Magdalene, ministry, N.T. Wright, Psalm 139, Psalm 139:17-18, R.W. Dale, R.W. Dale Christ is alive, resurrection, Road to Emmaus, Sabbath, Sunday school lesson, Sunday school teacher help, Thomas Jefferson Bible, Who Moved The Stone, witness, women | 6 Comments